SCIENCE 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW

Biodiversity is fundamental to life, from the air that we breathe to the food that we eat. The scientific study of biodiversity is the foundation of botanic gardens as it allows us to conserve diversity at home and around the world through greater documentation and understanding. Thus, science serves as a key programmatic element at Denver Botanic Gardens. ON THE COVER Gardens mycologist examining a specimen during a foray Table of Contents

2-3 Featured Projects

4-5 Floristics

6-7 Natural History Collections

8 Engagement

9 Publications and Presentations

Rehousing our collections 2018 marked the beginning of construction on the long-awaited Freyer – Newman Center. The Center will allow the Gardens to celebrate the intersection of science, art and education. The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded us nearly $250,000 to enable world-class stewardship of the non- living collections — natural history, art and archives — that underpin and enable this intersection. 2019 will be a year of intense preparation for our early 2020 move into the Center.

Staff working in the current natural history collections 2 | Denver Botanic Gardens Science at the Gardens Scientific endeavors at the Gardens are numerous and continually expanding. Whether tracking individual plants over time through demographic monitoring, expanding natural history collections with targeted surveys, or examining DNA to give an organism a “name,” we are driven by the goal of understanding biodiversity through the application of scientific studies.

The scientific process grounds our work and drives our projects toward excellence. We are constantly challenging ourselves to ask meaningful questions and collect robust data to seek answers. Data standards and collection methodology were improved in 2018, providing linkages between projects and expanding how the resulting data can be used. Our work along the High Line Canal is just one example of bringing expertise and diverse perspectives together to accomplish more as a team than as individuals.

Collaboration and communication are core concepts to the scientific work at the Gardens. Sharing our work with our peers, stakeholders and science enthusiasts enhances its value. Through numerous publications and presentations, we shared our work, learned from others and developed new ideas to explore. Staff across the organization contribute to regional, national and global conservation strategies. We train the next generation of botanists, mycologists and conservation biologists through internship opportunities with regional universities and through our graduate program in affiliation with the University of Colorado Denver. Our program expands each year, thus furthering our collective impact to conserve biodiversity.

As construction on the Freyer – Newman Center for Science, Art and Education proceeds, we await our move with anticipation and excitement. With expanded space and facilities, we are dreaming big about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Working with a master’s student to identify Staff and volunteers on a Sclerocactus glaucus herbarium specimens monitoring expedition

Science 2018 Year in Review | 1 A specimen of Gentiana algida from our natural history collection Saussurea weberi, one of the seed collections made in 2018

Featured Projects Some of the species that showed a significant change Climate Change in flowering time over the Monitoring course of 61 years. Phenology, the timing of biological events, is recognized as one of the best indicators of biological responses to climate change. Using observations of plant phenology, Ex Situ like the timing of flowering, we can Conservation track how plants have responded to climate change and predict future Collections changes in plant communities. While Seed banks have become a primary we regularly record phenological method of ex situ conservation

Gentiana algida measurements to understand seasonal collections for native plant species. and recent phenological patterns, To work toward the conservation of we use herbarium specimens to look the world’s threatened plant species, back in time and measure how plant we collect seed of native Colorado phenology has changed over longer plants — with a focus on rare and periods. Our 2018 publication threatened species — to ensure “Using Herbarium Specimens to that these species are available Select Indicator Species for Climate for recovery and restoration. In Change Monitoring,” explains 2018, we scouted for 30 species our process of doing so. Studying across the state, often collecting species in Colorado’s alpine areas, from multiple populations for each Castilleja occidentalis we analyzed herbarium specimen species. Because it was such a dry data to look at flowering time over year in Colorado, many populations, the course of a 61-year period particularly those in more arid areas and its relationship to temperature of the state, were not healthy enough and precipitation. We found that, to support seed collection. Despite on average, species that showed this, we were able to collect from earlier bloom times than in 10 populations in primarily high previous years bloomed 39 days elevation habitats, resulting in earlier at the end of the 61-year the acquisition of seeds from nine study than at the beginning. This species: one common and eight indicates the sensitivity of these rare. Seven of the species are new Antennaria rosea species to climate change. to our ex situ collection.

2 | Denver Botanic Gardens A beaver dam along Deer Creek creates a deep pond

Ecological monitoring along the High Line Canal Trail

Measuring plant growth as part of the greenhouse drought experiment

Restoration research improves ecosystem function and informs land management. Riparian Restoration at Chatfield Farms In 2018, we embarked on the third year of our riparian restoration project along Deer Creek at Chatfield Farms. Our project includes Data Standardization the installation of in-stream structures 2018 saw a reimagining of the data Prairie Restoration to create more natural stream flows our scientists collect. In years prior, In Colorado and much of the as well as long-term plant and different research teams operated Southwestern United States, drought aquatic monitoring. We received independently and data collection frequency, duration and severity are funding from the Colorado Water focused on their project’s specific expected to increase. Success of Conservation Board to expand needs. A growing demand in ecological restoration is dependent our restoration efforts upstream in ecology, botany and environmental upon high plant performance in partnership with Jefferson County sciences for flexible and highly changing environments. Ph.D. student Open Space. To facilitate this contextualized datasets has led us to Katherine Fu spent 2018 conducting expansion, we are partnering with rethink our methods. We developed a greenhouse drought experiment Metropolitan State University of a standardized set of data types for using wild and cultivated seed Denver to propose appropriate each team to collect, held a pre- of seven plant species commonly locations along the creek to field season workshop to emphasize used in prairie restoration. She also consider for additional in-stream projects on which multiple teams started a multi-year common garden structures. The addition of these could collaborate and created experiment on the same species at structures, along with the great custom field notebooks to collect Chatfield Farms. Both experiments work that beavers are doing along consistent data across all projects. will help us understand how seed the creek, will help restore natural This new approach allows our data origin relates to performance in flows to the creek and improve plant to be integrated and published as different conditions. This research and water quality. This funding a package, enriching the auxiliary will help create evidence-based also allowed us to bring on a third information about any one plant or seed sourcing recommendations for graduate student in the fall of 2018, location we study and making it successful prairie restoration both Margo Paces, who will be focusing more useful for current and future now and in the future under on riparian restoration for her scientific analyses. climate change. thesis research.

Science 2018 Year in Review | 3 Floristics

Name What You Love How Plant Diversity Science Connects People and Nature In 2018, we surveyed plant diversity along the High Line Canal Trail, a popular greenway stretching through Denver from Waterton Canyon to Green Valley Ranch. As our field crew fanned out along the 71-mile trail, we donned bright blue vests that said “Researcher,” hoping to signal that recreationists could stop and chat with us. Our invitation worked. Time and again, bikers, joggers and walkers approached us in smiling anticipation, poised to ask the same burning question: “Could you tell me the name of this plant?” They would then point up or down the trail, fixing their mind’s eye in the direction of their recent botanical encounter and describe their object of interest: “It’s a shrub, about 10 feet tall, growing in groves near my house. It has clusters of purplish-red fruit, especially this year!” Ah. The American plum (Prunus americana), no doubt.

Mile marker along the trail

Collecting specimens

4 | Denver Botanic Gardens Our survey has revealed more than 400 plant species – and counting – along the canal.

People want to name the things character under current climatic and they love. Why? Because it is the hydrologic conditions, to be used first step in attaching meaning by any researcher, organization or to that thing. In terms of plants, citizen who may have need of it proper identification is the critical in the future. And, this is what our gateway to further ecological survey will produce. understanding. For example, Here we must recognize the once we name the American plum, importance of research partnerships we know that it is a native plant in generating such valuable data. growing at the western edge of its The High Line Canal Conservancy North American distribution. We provided partial funding for our also know that in dry areas such botanical survey to support their as Colorado, it occurs in pockets mission of stewarding the greenway along streams and man-made for plants and people alike. Our Asclepias speciosa canals, where it provides critical survey has revealed more than habitat and food for wildlife. 400 plant species – and counting – along the canal. As our botanists Now consider scaling up the name them, they invite ecological naming of one plant to an meaning: native, non-native, water- expansive, data-driven exploration loving, shade-tolerant, abundant or of all the plants that occur along a rare gem. the High Line Canal Trail. Consider also the power of linking the date, Once the survey findings are made location and habitat characteristics public, users of the canal can of every plant to a physical attach their own meaning to the specimen to be kept in perpetuity plants that lay down roots in the as an immutable snapshot of very neighborhoods where we do biodiversity along the canal. Such the same. Name the cottonwood, a snapshot is an irreplaceable the willow, the sunflower, and they baseline of the canal’s botanical will tell you their story. Prunus americana

Researchers walking along the trail in Waterton Canyon

Science 2018 Year in Review | 5 Natural History Collections At their core, natural history collections capture species diversity and distribution. Not only do these collections hold the precious evidence of how landscapes and populations change over time, but they are also physical time capsules of genetics and morphology. These collections express humanity’s interest in the natural world and are on the frontlines of understanding and conserving biodiversity. As a museum, the Gardens’ collections support all who are curious about the natural world from artists to scientists to activists. Colorado Mycoflora Project Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi In 2018, we ended several presentations on the Colorado To resolve the “What is this thing?” question posed at our Mycoflora Project with a picture of a and asked, presentations, we retrieved the DNA sequence from the “What is this thing?” The featured fungus was violet-purple pictured specimen. Sure enough, with a 99.8% similarity with long, slender, finger-like structures shooting out of the in DNA sequence, the specimen was in fact ground. It resembled the Colorado species . This is an example of the mysteries we are purpurea but did not quite match in appearance. It solving with DNA. This last year, along with students and also resembled zollingeri and Clavulina volunteers, we advanced our understanding of Colorado amethystinoides, but neither species seemed to be a macrofungi by collecting DNA sequences from specimens perfect fit. held at the Gardens’ Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi. This process of obtaining a genetic sequence for each Confusion in fungal species identification is common — specimen also helps us give the specimen a name. this is precisely why we launched the Colorado Mycoflora Project. This project aims to document Colorado’s 2018 laid the groundwork for the Colorado Mycoflora macrofungal species diversity and distribution to Project. In 2019, we plan on making even greater strides create a functional mycoflora, which will enable the in documenting the diversity of fungi in the Southern conservation and preservation of Rocky Mountain forests. Rockies using our collections, and we will continue to solve mysteries.

Alloclavaria purpurea

6 | Denver Botanic Gardens Flowers at May Valley Ranch BombusCollecting huntii specimensalong the in Prowers County High Line Canal

Exploring the Eastern Plains Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium of Vascular Plants Between the cultivated areas of Colorado’s Eastern Plains is a vibrant sea of grasses, forbs and shrubs that supports Documenting Bee Diversity an exquisite diversity of native organisms, some of which occur no where else in the world. The Eastern Plains Arthropod Collection provide critical support to us through food production, Our floristics team was not alone in documenting life carbon sequestration and clean air and water. Yet, they along the High Line Canal Trail in 2018. Walking are one of Colorado’s most vulnerable landscapes. among Gardens scientists, net in hand, was graduate student Liam Cullinane. Rather than documenting Over the past few decades, the prairies of Southeastern plants or fungi, Liam traversed the 71-mile trail to Colorado have suffered extreme drought and often appear conduct a bee survey. Documenting the diversity less than vibrant. In 2018, however, Gardens scientists and abundance of bees along the canal will help were lucky to venture out after heavy monsoon rains and us determine how they are impacted by local plant experience the transformation of the dry, dusty prairie into communities and surrounding urban development. a pulsating sea of colors. Through our new partnership with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, we Using two common bee-collecting methods (bee surveyed plant diversity on a private ranch of more than bowl trapping and hand netting), bee diversity was 16,000 acres in Prowers County. documented across all sites. Collected bees were then identified to genus level. In total, 29 of the 70 bee Throughout our survey, we collected over 380 plant genera found in Colorado were identified along the specimens representing 237 species — each to be held canal, indicating the importance of this ecosystem in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium of Vascular Plants. for both bee diversity and abundance. The majority More than one-third of the species collected had not been of the collected bees are native to North America. previously documented in Prowers County. On our last Not surprising, common introduced bees, such as trip, the ranch’s true beauty was revealed as bright purple the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the liatris hummed with bees, monarch butterflies flocked to alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata) were also the cottonwood stands and the plains burst into whites, collected. All collected bees were accessioned into reds, pinks and purples as the dormant plants sprang our anthropod collection, where they will be held in to life after the monsoons. We may not see this riotous perpetuity with the plant specimens collected along the tableau again for many years, but the experience will same trail. keep us documenting plant life on the understudied and overlooked Eastern Plains for decades to come. Science 2018 Year in Review | 7 Pinus jeffreyiCollecting at Lake specimens Tahoe

Engagement

Outreach Global water issues: The Gardens and the One World One Water Center co-hosted a workshop on the Water, Food, Energy and Environment Nexus with the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme in Perugia, Italy. Living Collections Expeditions Two staff spoke about soil management strategies for The Lesotho Highlands: Gardens staff joined a small achieving water efficiency in small-scale agriculture and group of scientists and horticulturists from the Munich the Gardens’ overall water stewardship initiatives. Botanical Gardens to collect seed and provide horticultural training to staff members of the Katse Science education: At three regional conferences, Botanical Garden. educators presented the collaboration tool kit of the Growing Scientist Partnership, a program that provides Republic of Georgia: In collaboration with the Plant teachers with content and field trips for early elementary Collecting Collaborative, seed collections of selected school students. geophyte taxa were targeted in the Republic of Georgia.

Community partnerships: The Urban Advantage Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) expedition to Lake Tahoe: partnership continued supporting Denver Public Schools Gardens horticulturists conducted a collection expedition in implementing Next Generation Science Standards for on the east side of Lake Tahoe, collecting seed cones and middle school teachers and instructors. scion material for grafting from trees selected for their unique characteristics.

Prairie willow (Salix humilis) expedition in the Midwest: This species has great potential for use in the Denver landscape and throughout the horticultural community. Gardens staff explored Nebraska, Iowa and North and South Dakota for specimens of Salix humilis and associated species.

Bighorn and Beartooth Mountains of Wyoming: Seed collections were made from 102 taxa across the Wyoming mountain ranges with the goal of expanding and diversifying the Gardens’ native and alpine Salix humilis collections with material from the central Rockies. 8 | Denver Botanic Gardens Krishnan, S., P. Bramel, D. Horna, B. Lainoff, Hufft, R. A., M. E. DePrenger-Levin, R. A. Select Publications C. Montagnon, and T. Schilling. 2018. Levy, and M. B. Islam. 2018. Using herbarium specimens to select indicator species for climate Aime, M. C., C. D. Bell, and A. W. Wilson. Development of a global conservation strategy for coffee genetic resources. Acta Horticulturae change monitoring. Ecological Society of 2018. Deconstructing the coevolutionary America 2018. New Orleans, LA. complexity between rust fungi (Pucciniales) and 1205: 505-508. their plant hosts. Studies in 89: Krishnan, S., P. Bramel, C. Montagnon, and Lea, M. V., J. Syring, T. Jennings, R. Cronn, L. 143-152. T. Schilling. 2018. The Global Conservation P. Bruederle, J. R. Neale, and D. F. Tomback. Strategy for Coffee Genetic Resources. Cho, H. J., M. S. Park, H. Lee, S-Y. Oh, A. 2018. Development of nuclear microsatellite loci Association for Science and Information W. Wilson, G. M. Mueller, and Y. W. Woon for Pinus albicaulis Engelm. (Pinaceae), a conifer Conference. Portland, OR. Lim. Taxonomic re-evaluation of Laccaria of conservation concern. PLoS ONE 13(10): Krishnan, S. 2018. Germplasm Resources (, ) in Korea based e0205423. on morphological and molecular evidence. and Innovation in Waterlilies: Intersubgeneric Mycologia 110: 948-961. NeSmith, J. E., C. Alba, and S. L. Flory. 2018. Hybrids. Chenshan International Waterlily Symposium. Shanghai, China. Coopman, J. and M. E. Kane. 2018. Experimental drought and plant invasion Greenhouse acclimatization methods for field additively suppress primary pine species of Krishnan, S. 2018. Role of U. S. Department establishment of in vitro-derived ghost orchid southeastern US forests. Forest Ecology and of Agriculture’s National Genetic Resources (Dendroohylax lindenii) plants. Native Plants Management 411: 158-165. Advisory Council (NGRAC) in Providing Journal 19(2): 100-108. Strategic Recommendations for Strengthening Ning, C., G. M. Mueller, L. Egerton-Warburton, National Genetic Resources Conservation Coopman, J. and M. E. Kane. 2018. In vitro A. W. Wilson, W. Yan, and W. Xiang. 2018. and Use. International Horticulture Congress. desiccation tolerance of the epiphytic Ghost Diversity and functioning of ectomycorrhizal Istanbul, Turkey. Orchid, Dendroohylax lindenii (Lindl.) Benth fungal communities following nitrogen Krishnan, S. 2018. United States Germplasm x. Rolfe. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental fertilization in an urban-adjacent pine plantation. Biology – Plant: 1-11. System and Crop (Coffee) Conservation Forests 9(3), art. no 99. Strategy. ASEAN Workshop in Conservation and Exchange of Plant Genetic Resources for Food Denver Botanic Gardens. 2018. “Wildflowers Seglias, A. E., E. Williams, A. Bilge, and A. T. and Agriculture. Vientiane, Laos. of the Rocky Mountain Region”. Timber Press. Kramer. 2018. Phylogeny and source climate impact seed dormancy and germination of Krishnan, S. 2018. World Food Prize Global restoration-relevant forb species. PLoS ONE Youth Institute. American Society for Horticultural Science, Annual Conference. Washington, D.C. 13(2): e0191931. Levy, R. A. 2018. A Case Study for Connecting Thomson, S. A. et al. (incl. M. B. Islam). 2018. Collections and Ecological Research. The based on science is necessary Society for the Preservation of Natural History for global conservation. PLoS Biol. 16(3): Collections + Biodiversity Information Standards e2005075. 2018 Conference. Dunedin, New Zealand. Levy, R. A. 2018. Introduction to the Global Genome Initiative-Gardens. American Public Select Presentations Gardens Association, Collections Symposium. Alba, C., R. A. Levy, J. Berta-Thompson, M. B. Vancouver, BC. Islam, and J. Wingate. Increasing the value of Levy, R. A. 2018. A Workflow for Adding botanical collections for understanding grassland Specimen Metadata to Images Captured in the biodiversity in Colorado. Western Forestry Field. The Society for the Preservation of Natural and Conservation Association, Great Plains History Collections + Biodiversity Information Grassland Summit 2018. Denver, CO. Standards 2018 Conference. Dunedin, New Zealand. Alba, C., R. A. Levy, and M. B. Islam 2018. Loucks, J., V. S. Evenson, and A. W. Wilson. We’re all outstanding in our fields: Combining 2018. Tales of the Pale Panther: Systematics botanical collections and ecological data to of Rocky Mountain Amanita pantherine var. improve knowledge of plant diversity. Botany multisquammosa. 11th International Mycological 2018. Rochester, MN. Congress. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Endriss, S. B., C. Alba, A. P. Norton, P. Pyšek, and R. A. Hufbauer. 2018. Breakdown of a Charley-Suarez, C., G. M. Mueller, and A. W. Neale, J. R. 2018. Denver Botanic Gardens: geographic cline best explains high performance Wilson. 2018. Phylogenetic delineation and GGI-Gardens Symposium. American Public of introduced populations of a weedy invader. geographic distribution of Laccaria nobilis Gardens Association, Annual Meeting. Anaheim, Journal of Ecology 106: 699-713. and phenotypic relatives. 11th International CA. Flory, S. L., C. Alba, K. Clay, R. Holt, and E. Mycological Congress. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Neale, J. R. and R. A. Levy. 2018. Data Gross. 2018. Emerging pathogens can suppress standardization at Denver Botanic Gardens. Cullinane, L. 2018. Using a baseline bee survey invaders and promote native species recovery. Center for Plant Conservation, Annual Meeting. Biological Invasions 20: 5-8. and ecological monitoring to inform management Fort Worth, TX. along an urban greenway. Natural Areas Flory, S. L., C. Alba, K. Clay, R. Holt, and E. Conference 2018. Bloomington, IN. Seglias, A. E. 2018. Conservation of a Colorado Gross. 2018. Long-term studies are needed to high alpine endemic. Institute of Museum and reveal the effects of pathogen accumulation on DePrenger-Levin, M. E. 2018. Accounting for Library Services Tissue Culture Workshop. invaded plant communities. Biological Invasions spatial error in herbarium records for species Cincinnati, OH. 20: 11-12. distribution models of rare plant species. Natural Seglias A. E. and Kramer, A. 2018. The effects Areas Conference 2018. Bloomington, IN. Hufft, R. A., M. E. DePrenger-Levin, R. A. of frozen storage on seed dormancy and germination patterns of native southwestern forb Levy, and M. B. Islam. 2018. Using herbarium Fu, K. 2018. Effects of seed source on drought species. Botany 2018. Rochester, MN. specimens to select indicator species for climate performance and implications for native prairie change monitoring. Biodiversity Conservation restoration. Natural Areas Conference 2018. Wilson, A. W., S. A. Wright, and V. S. Evenson. 27: 1487-1501. Bloomington, IN. 2018. Towards a Colorado Mycoflora Project: Krishnan, S. 2018. Ensuring the genetic diversity Molecular diversity of mushrooms from the of coffee. Pp. 68-82 in Achieving Sustainable Hufft, R. A. 2018. South Platte River Basin Southern Rockies. 11th International Mycological Cultivation of Coffee, vol. 1 Breeding and Restoration. Ecological Restoration Alliance Congress. San Juan, Puerto Rico. quality traits, ed. P. Lashermes. Philadelphia: of Botanic Gardens, 4th Public Symposium. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Ontario, Canada.

Science 2018 Year in Review | 9 Expanding Global Access to Collecting tissue samples with an intern Biodiversity Resources For Future Research As contributors to the Global Genome Biodiversity Network, we are expanding the inventory of plant tissue available for research by supporting the goal of making tissue samples of all living plant species accessible to researchers. Every new herbarium specimen we collect includes a tissue sample that is then discoverable online. Collections are also made of unique taxa in our living collections and those of Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. Presentations at both the American Public Gardens Association Annual Meeting and Collections Symposium encouraged others to participate in the program.

Thank You to Our Funders American Public Garden Association Garden Club of America Natural Areas Association, John W. Humke Student Scholarship Center for Plant Conservation The Garden Club of Denver (graduate research support) Colorado Mycoflora Project donors High Line Canal Conservancy Plant Select® Colorado Mycological Society Institute of Museum and Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust Colorado Native Plant Society, Library Services Marr Fund (graduate research support) United Airlines Colorado Water Conservation Board Jefferson County Open Space U.S. Bureau of Land Management Denver Mountain Parks Lyda Hill Foundation U.S. Forest Service

We gratefully acknowledge the many other individuals who provide financial support for our work throughout the year as well as our dedicated volunteers who share their time and expertise. Science at Denver Botanic Gardens is also supported with distributed income from Denver Botanic Gardens Endowment Funds. Denver Botanic Gardens is supported by the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District funded by the taxpayers of the Denver metro area.

To keep up-to-date with science at Denver Botanic Gardens, you can sign up for the quarterly science e-newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the bottom of botanicgardens.org and selecting “Science.”

How to cite this publication: Neale, J. R., M. B. Islam, R. A. Hufft, and S. J. White. 2018. Science 2018 Year in Review. Denver Botanic Gardens.

Photos taken by Scott Dressel-Martin and Gardens staff.

CONTACT INFORMATION: botanicgardens.org/science-research [email protected] 720-865-3593